Completion of the project for the protection of the Maronia Cave in the Prefecture of Komotini

In March 2025, work was completed to protect the habitat and bat colonies in the Maronia Cave in the Prefecture of Komotini, within the framework of Action C1 "Protection, restoration and management of important roosting sites for bats" of the LIFE GRECABAT Project.

As part of the project, the old structure and gate at the entrance to the cave were removed, which were replaced with a new, specially designed metal cave gate, friendly to bats.

The work aimed to limit uncontrolled, without permission from the competent services, human access to the cave, while ensuring the unhindered passage of bats to and from the cave.

Also, an environmental interpretation sign and two signboards of the LIFE GRECABAT project were placed within the framework of Action E1, with the aim of optimally informing citizens about the importance of the cave, the feasibility of interventions and the reasons for restricting human access.

After the completion of the project, autonomous research monitoring devices (Troglometers: https://www.lifegrecabat.eu/en/news-articles/313) of the cave and bat conditions were installed, within the framework of action C2 “Establishment of an early warning monitoring system for habitat 8310 and important bat colonies" of LIFE GRECABAT. The devices are still recording the cave conditions and taking snapshots of the bats' gathering places, while they are planned to remain in the cave until at least one annual data collection cycle is completed.

We warmly thank the contractor company GRANITIS ΙΚΕ and especially Antonis Karamanis for the design and implementation of the project, the Rhodope Forest Directorate and Stella Paraschaki for the supervision, the Management Unit of Evros Delta and Dadia National Parks of NECCA, as well as the Ephorate of Paleoanthropology and Speleology and the Head of the Northern Greece Office Mr. Fotis Georgiadis for their valuable cooperation in the context of our project.